Green tea has been the center of attention for  quite some time, and has been touted as a powerful antioxidant, fat burner and so forth. However, black tea has earned its place as a healthy beverage thanks to Australian scientists who  found that daily consumption of black tea  could help to reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing blood pressure.

A six month research experiment/study was conducted and  published in the Journal of the American Medical Association( JAMA)  Archives of Internal Medicine – the research claims that  people who consume black tea throughout the day may benefit from slight reductions in blood pressure which in turn may have a substantial long-term benefit.

Furthermore, in a study of over 3,000 subjects in Saudi Arabia – where black tea is preferred – showed that regular consumption of the black tea can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 50%.

The Netherlands National Institute of Public Health and the Environment found a direct relation between regular consumption of black tea and reduced risk of stroke.  The study examined  552 men for 15 years; researchers concluded that the flavonoids in black tea helped reduce the production of LDL (l0w density lipoprotein) – the “bad” cholesterol that can lead to stroke and heart attacks. The study proved that  men who drank over four cups of black tea per day had a significantly lower risk of stroke than men who drank only two to three cups per day.

Studies funded by the Tea Trade Health Research Association found several servings of black tea every day helped to reduce plaque build-up but also helped control bacteria while simultaneously preventing the formation of cavities.

The research team,  led by Professor Jonathan Hodgson from the University of Western Australia (UWA) published the recent study in JAMA which revealed that regular consumption of three or more cups of black tea per day (approximately 430 miligrams per day of polyphenols – resulted in minor yet significant decreases in diastolic and systolic blood pressure (BP).

“At a population level, the observed differences in BP would be associated with a 10% reduction in the prevalence of hypertension and a 7% to 10% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease,” they revealed.

Dr. Vita of the Boston School of Medicine supported these results. For four months, sixty-six men drank four cups of either black tea or a placebo daily. After the six month period Dr. Vita concluded that drinking black tea helps reverse the abnormal functioning of the blood vessels which are known to contribute to stroke or heart attack. Furthermore, improvement in the functioning of the blood vessels was visible within two hours of drinking just one cup of black tea.

Hodgson and his team, in another study,  recruited 95 Australian participants aged between 35 and 75. They were randomised to drink either three cups of black tea or another beverage similar in taste and caffeine content, but not derived from tea, daily for six months. After the six month period the researchers discovered that the tea drinkers’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell between 2 and 3 mm Hg compared to non-tea drinkers.

So, for all of you who do not consume tea because you are scared of the effects of caffeine- think again…you might actually benefit from a cup of black tea!

Dr. Gary Eshanov, a Montclair chiropractor treats patients with various pathologies via chiropractic and clinical/nutritional counseling.  For more information make an appointment.